Fire-escape



(No Model.)

"J. M. KIRKER] "FIRE ESCAPE. I

No. 506,238. v I .Paten'te d oct .1 0;1 893.

mes STATES ENT OFFIC FIRE-ESCAPE.

EcIFIcA'rIon forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,238,- dated October 10, 1893.

Application filed February 13, 1892. Serial No. 421,418. (No model.)

To wZ loll/om i i'inay concern.-

, Be it known that 1, JAMES M. Kmart, of

' section for the Louisville, in the county of J efierson, in the State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire Escapes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and exact description.

This invention relates to improve'mentsin fire-escapes, and consists in certain details of construction, larly set forth and specifically pointed out in the claims. In the annexed drawings similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation fire-escape, with the inclosing case shown in purpose-of better illustrating the internal arrangement of the parts. Fig. 2 is a top planev-iew of the tower taken below the dome at-the top end thereof. Fig. 5 isa view in detail of one of the leaves or sections of-which'the slide is formed, and Fig.4 is a similar view ofone of the sections -S which form the stairs of the device, both said leaves and sections being held centrally onv the standard or pipe in the center of the device,

In ,the drawings---A is a suitable tower of sheet metaL'wood or anysuitablematerial." B- is a standard or water pipe extending nearly orcntirely to the top of the tower or so that there may be strung on one central shell.

.B'- are lateral armsleading from the main standard orpipe to the several 'fioorsp'ast' whichthe device is carried, andare connected tothe stand pipe in such manner that water may becarried to'oneor more points in the olevation-ofthewhole as, it mayfbe'needed ,4 Y

to extinguish the fire. 3

I The stand pipe -B may be mana e one single length of pipe or'it may-be made of sections properly joined together suitable unions or coupl'ings and'l.provide the leaves ofthe slide -+canc thesectio-njs;

of the stairway S with collars -a +"to encircle said stand pipe, which collars are of les'swidth than the wid-thof thesaid sections pipe two or more sets of leaves for two con cave spiral slides, or two spiral stair-ways, or one slideand one stairway, as may be lo-- all as hereinafter more particui of improved y m ans o sired, though I prefer to use. a single slide and a single spiral stairwaysuspended below 7 points sovas-to afford access to said slides and Stairways, and I prefer to use doors'-D which will act. automatically in closingso that as soon as thdperson' using them has passed the opening it will beimmediately closed to prevent accidental escapeof .any-

other person or persons coming, down the of openings in the tower --A at different slides from avhigher elevation, and any snitable device or devices may be adopted to automatically close said doors, such as springhinges, weigh ts, &c.

Another point in providingan automatically acting door is that where the doors are kept closed all the draftwill. becut oil and prevent fire entering themaintower or shell, and heating the slide andstairwa'y and thus rendering it unfit for use.

At theluppe'r end'of the towerl provide a. dome with two doors so as to afford access to the slide and the stairvs-"a'y from the roof of the building ingvhich the device; islocated, and I- prefer to run a branch of the water pipe out at the top end tocarry water to the roof of the building in case of'need.- By forming the leaves of the slidein concave formI very effectually prevent accidental escape of any ing will be moresecurely'guarded against possibility of sliding out ofanydoor opening below'the line at which he may start to do package slid down the slide and a'human bescend the slide, and also will be'guarded I against undue friction against the inner a i riphery of the tower inclosing the slide, so

that, eventhough' a door may have been 'ac-- cidentall'yfleft open, below the elevation at which the person may. have started to pass,

down the slide, he will be held within the concave spiral of the slide, will merely touch;

the door, and-pass it without danger of being injured, even thoughthe door'niay open inward.

The pitch. of thespiral slide -C- may. vary for dillerent purposes, and for a freight tio slide may be made more steep than for a passenger slide, without danger of injuring the packages slid down the same.

The central supporting column upon whichof the slide and the sections of the the leaves stairway are hung may be connected to the street-main for water supply, or it may be also provided with a lateral branchto which thehose ofthe firecn 'ines may be attached so as to furnish a "sufficient supply of water spectively to the slide and the stairway, and.

these doors are also made so as to be autonatically closed for the double purpose of shutting off draft and also to keep out rain andsnow from the tower.

At the bottom end of the slide -C I extend the same outward sufficiently far so that a person sliding down the same will come to a gradual stop atthe bottom end and land at that point uninjured, though the door at the lower end should open outward, rather than inward, as in the case of the other doors leading to the main shell or tower, so as to aldfgrd ready escape for any person using the s 1 e.

It will be seen that to afford proper pitch to the concave slide there will be a considerable amount of vacant space in the tower, and I prefer to utilize this by placing therein a flight .of spiral stairs leading to the upper end of the tower, so that the space occupied by the fireescape slide will attord additional means of ingress to the building on which it is used and will be useful at all times, and by'nsing glass in the tower dome and the several doors the spiral stairswill be at all ti mes properly lighted to aid in their ascent.

The sectionsof the slide or slides C and of the stairway S are provided at their upper edges with projections p adapted to enter recessesq in the lower edges of the sections nest above them. Thus the lower edge of each section is supported on the upper edge of the section next below it, and the weight of each section, while to someextent taken up by the resistance of the central column orstand pipe, is in a greater degree transmitted to the section next; below it and so on to the ground in the line of curvature of the spiral chute;

Obviously any devices equivalent to the projections and recesses 1) and I may be used bywhich one section may be held in its position with regard to the section below it sons to transmit its weight thereto as above described. Having described my invention, what I claim is-- a 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a central vertical column, a cylindrical outer casing int-losing said column, and a series'of concave leaves of spiral 7c curvature supported from said central column by means of collars thereon, the lower portion of each leaf engaging with and being supported on the upper portion of the adjoining leaf of the series, and means for securing the contiguous portions of thele'aves in position, so as to form a continuous spiral chute within said casing, substantially as described.

. 2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a central vertical stan'd pipe, a cylindrical outer casing inclosing said stand pipe, and a series of concave leaves of spiral curvature secured on said central column by means of collars thereon, the upper and lower edges of each leaf having projec- 85 tions and recesses engaging with correspouding recesses and projections on theedges of the adjoining leaves of the series, so as to form a continuous spiral chute within said casing, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a central vertical-column, a cylindrical outer casing inclosing said col umn, and a pinraiity of series or" leaves of spiral curvature, secured on said column by 5 means of collars thereon, each leaf being con-- tignons'at top and bottom to the adjoining leaves of its own series suits to form therewith a continuous spiral, and each collar be ing contiguous at top and bottom to the oolic-o lars of the adjoining series, whereby aplu-- rality of series of spiral chutes may be supported upon a single central column, snbstan- .tially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a central vertical column,

a cylindrical outer casing inclosin'g said ooh umn, and a plurality of series' of ,leaves of spiral curvature, secured onsaid column by means of collars thereon, each leaf extending no below its supporting collar, to a sufficient depth to pass the collar or collars of the-ad joining series and engage the adjoining leaf of its own series, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set n 5 my hand this 20th day of January, 1892. j

JAMES M. KIRKER. Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, FRANK L. REEDER. 

